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Lesson 195 of 240

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Cooking at home in French

Inès lives two floors down and is making a weeknight plate of pasta. She talks through the steps too fast, then offers Sam a taste.

He has barely found the salt.

You will follow a simple recipe: first the water, then the pasta, a little salt, and ten minutes on the hob.

By the end you can give those steps and say you hardly ever cook.

By the end of this lesson

Follow and give a simple recipe in steps.

  • D'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.First you bring the water to a boil.
  • Ensuite, tu ajoutes les pâtes.Then you add the pasta.
  • Tu mets un peu de sel.You add a little salt.
  • Tu laisses cuire dix minutes.You leave it to cook for ten minutes.
  • Tu veux goûter ?Want a taste?
  • Je ne cuisine presque jamais.I hardly ever cook.

Scene — two floors down

A weeknight on rue des Tilleuls. Sam knocks two floors down. Inès has a pot on the hob and a bag of pasta on the counter.

The kitchen is small. There is no wine, just a plate of pasta for two. Sam still has his backpack on.

Sam arrives in the doorway of Inès’s small evening kitchen while she stands at the hob with a pot and a bag of pasta.

Learn — a simple pasta recipe

Six lines walk you through a pasta recipe in order: first, then, salt, and ten minutes.

You also get an offer of a taste, and a line for when you hardly ever cook.

  1. Inès watches a pot of water come to a boil on the hob.

    D'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.

    First you bring the water to a boil.

    When to use it: Say this for the first step when you walk a friend through a recipe.

    D'abord marks the first step, and tu is for a friend.

    Say it: D'abord is de + abord, with de shortened to d'.

  2. Inès tips dry pasta from the paper bag into the boiling pot.

    Ensuite, tu ajoutes les pâtes.

    Then you add the pasta.

    When to use it: Use this for the next step after the first one.

    Ensuite means the step that comes after the first.

    Say it: The en in Ensuite is a nasal vowel.

  3. Over Sam’s shoulder, Inès pinches a little salt into the pot while he still searches the counter.

    Tu mets un peu de sel.

    You add a little salt.

    When to use it: Tell a friend to put a little salt in.

    Un peu de means a small amount, not a measured cup.

  4. From above, Inès has stepped back from the stove to wait while the pasta cooks, and Sam stands idle nearby.

    Tu laisses cuire dix minutes.

    You leave it to cook for ten minutes.

    When to use it: Say how long to leave the food cooking.

    Laisses cuire means you let it cook for the stated time.

  5. Inès holds a fork of pasta out toward Sam for him to taste.

    Tu veux goûter ?

    Want a taste?

    When to use it: Offer a friend a taste of what you made.

    Tu is for a friend, while a stranger or staff would get vous.

    Say it: The r at the end of goûter is silent.

  6. Sam still has his backpack on and stands idle in the kitchen with open hands toward the stove.

    Je ne cuisine presque jamais.

    I hardly ever cook.

    When to use it: Admit that you almost never cook at home.

    Presque jamais means almost never, not never at all.

    Say it: The s in cuisine sounds like z.

Story — she talks too fast

Watch Inès cook pasta two floors down. She gives the steps too fast, then offers a taste.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The stairwell smells of pasta. Inès opens the door in her denim jacket.
  2. InèsSalut.Hi.
  3. SamSalut.Hi.
  4. InèsAssieds-toi.Sit down.
  5. A pot is already on the hob. Pasta sits on the counter in a paper bag.
  6. SamJ'ai faim.I'm hungry.
  7. InèsD'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.First you bring the water to a boil.
  8. SamD'accord.Okay.
  9. InèsEnsuite, tu ajoutes les pâtes.Then you add the pasta.
  10. SamAttends, trop vite.Wait, too fast.
  11. InèsTu mets un peu de sel.You add a little salt.
  12. SamLe sel, c'est où ?Where's the salt?
  13. InèsLà, derrière.There, behind.
  14. He still has not found the salt. She keeps going anyway.
  15. InèsTu laisses cuire dix minutes.You leave it to cook for ten minutes.
  16. She holds out a fork. The pasta is almost done.
  17. InèsTu veux goûter ?Want a taste?
  18. SamOui.Yes.
  19. He takes the fork, then shrugs.
  20. SamJe ne cuisine presque jamais.I hardly ever cook.

Practice — first, then, salt

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, build, fill a gap, and pick the right step.

They stay on the pasta, so the round stays useful.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    D'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.Drop the English here
    Ensuite, tu ajoutes les pâtes.Drop the English here
    Tu mets un peu de sel.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    A friend is cooking pasta. Tell them to add a little salt.

  4. Fill the gap

    Then you add the pasta.

    ____, tu ajoutes les pâtes.

  5. What does it mean?

    Tu veux goûter ?

  6. Build the line

    You leave it to cook for ten minutes.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    A friend cooks every night. You almost never do. Say so.

    Je ne cuisine presque ____.

  8. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Salut.

    Hi.

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    You say this to tell a friend to sit down.

  10. What do you say?

    You just sat down in her kitchen and you want dinner.

Say it — give the steps

Now you're Sam in Inès's kitchen. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. InèsBon, on fait des pâtes.Right, we're making pasta.
  2. Sam (you)Give the first step, about the water.

    D'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.

    First you bring the water to a boil.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
D'abord, tu fais bouillir l'eau.First you bring the water to a boil.
Ensuite, tu ajoutes les pâtes.Then you add the pasta.
Tu mets un peu de sel.You add a little salt.
Tu laisses cuire dix minutes.You leave it to cook for ten minutes.
Tu veux goûter ?Want a taste?
Je ne cuisine presque jamais.I hardly ever cook.
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